Malthouse weighs tactics for Cats clash

By Michael Gleeson

8 August 2011 — 12:00am

IT SHOULD be an eagerly awaited clash - first playing second - but arriving as it does as the last game before the finals even Michael Malthouse yesterday forecast a dead rubber and trickery with team selection.

''That last game will be interesting because, quite frankly, if it is a dead rubber, the word tanking comes into it but it is almost at the reverse end.

Master tactician: Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse issues instructions at the end of the first quarter against Port Adelaide.Credit:David Mariuz

''Are you going to take it easy just to get your players ready for the final? I half suspect that we will be looking at what players we put out there and I reckon Geelong would be doing the same,'' the Collingwood coach told SEN yesterday.

Malthouse said that injuries and other factors may yet come into it, but presently Collingwood was level on points with Geelong though with a greater percentage that gave it top spot.

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Geelong has lost two games and Collingwood only one, but Geelong has played one more game than Collingwood to date and will have a bye in round 22.

''Now we want to win those three games and if we don't win those three games, we come back to equal parity with Geelong and that last game may determine first or second. Does it mean a hell of a lot? Not really,'' he said.

''Does it mean you pay a home final? You play on the same ground and the opponent will be worthy … I don't know if it really means a lot - who you play … If you are good enough, you have to beat those sides.''

More concerning for Malthouse now was trying to juggle the playing load of his team and thus invest some players with games and reduce the burden on the handful who have played every game.

The club would change the positions some players play and use the substitute rule to ''deload'' some players and not necessarily keep them out of the team altogether.

''Our goal - and not trying to be overly clever - our goal is to cushion the load on certain players and make sure we maximise the output on some of the kids who need to get exposed to the toughness of playing in the middle or playing one-on-one football.

''What we are trying to do is come out with a very even squad of 28-29 players by the appropriate time. All the theories come undone when you get an injury,'' he said.

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After welcoming Alan Didak back into the team from the substitute bench on Saturday night, Collingwood will reintroduce injured players Alan Toovey, Sharrod Wellingham, Harry O'Brien and Chris Dawes in the next few weeks.

Heath Shaw will come back for the first week of the finals, and is heading to Arizona with Anthony Rocca as training coach to ensure he is as well prepared as possible to return immediately to the team.